Use These Strategies to Get to Know Your Character More

Pay attention to . . .

• What other characters say about the main character

In my book Karen's Worst Day by Ann M. Martin, Karen's parents say that Karen is very sweet and loving. Karen's best friend says that she loves to be creative. My opinion is that I think karen is sweet and loving because her parents say she has a great family and has a bright personality. Hope I helped you learn more about Karen in the book Karen's Worst Day. Read more great examples.

• the main character's actions

Example: Catherine, the main character in my book, Rules,by Cynthia Lord,took care of her brother, David, by babysitting him almost everyday. This action showed me that Catherine is caring.

• the main character's emotions and moods

example: Stumpy,the main character in my book,Goose Berry Park, by Cynthia Rylant finds a glow in the dark watch on a picnic table. She put it in her nest, but in the morning she saw it was missing. Stumpy is a collector. This tells me she got upset because that watch was her favorite treasure.
Examples:
In my book, Gooseberry Park, the main character is a dog named Kona. I can tell what Kona's emotions and moods are by his actions, or how he sounds when he barks. Maybe he's pacing the room. He's probably nervous. Maybe his bark sounds like a whimper. He's scared. I hope these examples have helped you understand your characters' emotions and moods better.

• their likes, hobbies, dislikes, and fears

Examples:

In my book, Maniac Magee, the main character is a boy named Maniac. He has no fears. His hobbies are football , baseball and running. Also he likes playing with little kids. This shows how active and fun he is.


In my book, No Talking by Andrew Clements, the main character is Dave. I can tell that Dave loves to talk because he went on and on when he talked to someone and he didn't stop.

• what the narrator tells us about the character

Example:
In my book Baseball Pals, by Matt Christopher, Jimmie Todd is the main character. Matt Christopher shows us that Jimmie is the opposite of caring. Jimmie wished his little brother, Ervie, would go home. Jimmie wished that he would go home because he wanted to practice pitching at the baseball diamond, while Ervie said it was too late and he was hungry.

• what the character says

Example:I am reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, by Jeff Kinney. Greg (the main character) told a family that there are no discounts. He did this because he wanted more money. This tells me that Greg is not generous.

• what they look like (physical traits), how they dress

I am reading Pixie Tricks: The Wicked Wizard by Tracey West. I can see how Spoiler, the fairy, dresses and looks. I can see it because the author says: her dark hair was pulled up into two pony tails. Also she wears yellow striped shirt and overalls.
Example:
In my book,Wizards Don't Need Computers, written by Debbie Dadey and illustrated by Marcia Thornton Jones, a new librarian named Mr. Merle works at the Bailey City Library. Mr. Merle dresses in a unusual way. He has a long white beard and wears a vest with the solar system on it. He also wears a necklace with a star on it. Under that he wears black, thin pants and a black turtle-neck. By Mr. Merle dressing like that, it made me believe that Mr. Merle was probably a wizard (and also made the Bailey School Kids believe he was a wizard).

• where they come from, where they live

Abby, the main character in my book, Extra Credit, by Andrew Clements, comes from Illinois in America.This helps me understand the setting and the pictures in the book.

• what happened in their life, past experiences, background

Larry,the main character in my book called Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian by Michael Anthony Steele used to be a night guard at the Museum of Natural History. Then he took a break from the night guard spot and became an inventor . Now he is an inventor for his own business called Daley Devices.

• what their family members are like

Example:
In my book,The Flunking Of Joshua T. Bates ,Joshua,the the main character,has to repeat third grade. I can tell what Joshua's emotions and moods are by paying attention to the way Joshua speaks. One example is that he is embarassed because his friends are going to fourth grade with out him.

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